Method and apparatus for chemical mapping by selective dissolution

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method of analysis including at least one microscope means operable to characterize the surface of a sample in use, at least a first conduit to convey one or more solvents to the sample and a further conduit to convey at least part of the solution from the sample. At least one pump means delivers solvent to the sample and/or removes solution from the same.

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/119,635 filed on Feb. 13, 2015, the complete disclosure ishereby incorporated by this reference.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of using thesame to record the dissolution of one or more compounds.

It is well know that methods of chemical imaging such as IR microscopy,Raman microscopy, Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy provide highlyvaluable information in a wide range of applications. However, thesemethods typically have limitations in terms of their scale of scrutiny,the amount of information they provide and the types of environment inwhich the sample can be placed. Furthermore, their analytical power islimited because each instrument provides only one kind of analysis andcannot be used with chromatography. Another drawback is that they allhave limits in terms of their sensitivity for components present in lowconcentrations.

BACKGROUND

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide an apparatusthat addresses the abovementioned problems.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a method thataddresses the abovementioned problems.

Embodiments of the invention overcome limitations of current methods bycombining one or more of:—

-   -   A type of microscopy that can characterize the removal of        material from the surface of a sample including the removal of        some domains more than others.    -   A means of conveying solvent to the sample so that material is        dissolved from its surface.    -   A means of controlling the composition of the solvent so that it        preferentially dissolves one material compared to another.    -   A means of controlling the temperature of the sample and solvent        thereby to influence the rate at which materials are dissolved.    -   A means of creating an interface between two liquids and        controlling how they interact prior conveying them to the        sample.    -   A means of causing the fluid or at least one of the fluids to be        a vapor so that capillary forces, where the tip touches the        sample, cause the vapor to condense in a way that is localized        at the tip; this condensate then dissolving part of the sample        prior to the localized droplet being conveyed away from the        sample.    -   A means of heating the probe of a scanning probe microscope        wherein the temperature of the probe can be increased and        reduced in a controlled way.    -   A means of collecting aliquots of the solution so that they can        be analyzed and/or a direct link to an instrument that can        analyze the solutes.    -   A means of correlating the measurements from the microscopy with        the analytical results so that the location from which analytes        were dissolved can be determined.

In one aspect of the invention there is a method of identifying thechemical composition of the components of a sample and locating theirpositions within and/or upon the sample comprising the steps of locatingthe sample within the field of view of a microscope that cancharacterize changes that occur in a sample as a consequence of itscomponents being dissolved, conveying a solvent to the sample so that itcan dissolve parts of the sample, conveying the solution away from thesample, analyzing the solutes, analyzing the images produced by themicroscope so that the location and quantity of material dissolved as afunction of time are estimated and different components aredifferentiated on the basis of their dissolution kinetics, andcorrelating the data acquired with the microscope with the analyticaldata thereby to create a map of how different components of the sampleare spatially distributed within and/or upon the sample even when morethan one component dissolves concurrently during the course of theexperiment.

In a second aspect of the invention there is a method of identifying thechemical composition of the components of a sample and locating theirpositions within and/or upon the sample comprising locating the samplewithin the field of view of a scanning probe microscope that cancharacterize changes that occur in a sample as a consequence of itscomponents being dissolved, conveying a fluid to the sample so that itcondenses around the point of contact of the probe tip with the samplethen dissolve parts of the sample, conveying the solution away from thesample, analyzing the solutes, analyzing the images produced by themicroscope so that the location and quantity of material dissolved as afunction of time are estimated and different components aredifferentiated on the basis of their dissolution kinetics, correlatingthe data acquired with the microscope with the analytical data therebyto create a map of how different components of the sample are spatiallydistributed within and/or upon the sample even when more than onecomponent dissolves concurrently during the course of the experiment.

It is to be understood that the word solvent can mean a mixture ofsolvents and that the solvent can contain species already dissolved init or it can be a suspension and that the solvent or the speciesdissolved within it may react with the sample.

Typically, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least onemicroscope means operable to characterize the surface of a sample inuse, at least a first conduit to convey one or more solvents to thesample, and a further conduit to convey at least part of the solutionfrom the sample wherein at least one pump means delivers solvent to thesample and/or removes solution from the same.

In one embodiment the composition of the solvent is controlled, or iscapable of being controlled, by a computer. In one embodiment pumpsand/or dosage meters are computer controlled.

In one embodiment, the temperature of the sample and solvent surroundingit is controlled, or is capable of being controlled by a computer.

In one embodiment the sample remains within the field of view of themicroscope as the sample is exposed to the solvent.

In one embodiment the sample may be removed from the field of view ofthe microscope and exposed to the liquid before the sample is returnedto the field of view of the microscope. Typically this series can berepeated multiple times with different solvents and differenttemperatures.

Typically the solvent and/or solution is a fluid. Further, typically thefluid is a liquid.

Preferably the further conduit conveys at least part of the solution toat least one further instrument. Typically the further instrument is ananalysis means capable of analyzing the at least part of the solutionand/or one or more solutes contained therein.

Typically the analysis means includes any one or any combination ofspectroscopic analysis, chromatographic analysis and/or the like. In oneembodiment the analysis means is a HPLC-MS (high performance liquidchromatography-mass spectrometry) instrument.

Thus the present invention provides an apparatus arranged to measurechanges in the surface of the sample as material is dissolved by thesolvent and to analyze the solutes.

Typically analysis of the one or more solutes provides data that can beprocessed using suitable software to identify the chemical compositionof components of the sample and/or locate their positions within and/orupon the sample.

In particular the chemical composition of components of the sampleand/or their positions within and/or upon the sample can be determinedeven when more than one solute or component dissolves concurrentlyduring the addition of solvent, in the course of the process, method orexperiment.

In one embodiment the apparatus includes at least one sample locationmeans.

In use, the sample is provided or placed substantially on a samplelocation means. Preferably the temperature of the sample location meansis controlled and/or maintained at a predetermined temperature.

In one embodiment the sample location means includes a chamber.Typically the environment inside the chamber is temperature controlled.In one embodiment any one or any combination of atmospheric composition,humidity, light intensity and/or the like of the sample location meanscan be controlled and/or set to predetermined level.

Typically one or more of the sample location means parameters, such astemperature, is set and/or controlled by a computer means and/or one ormore microprocessor means.

Typically the sample includes one or more compounds or materials. In oneembodiment the sample includes different morphologies, isomers and/orenantiomers of a compound or material.

In one embodiment the one or more solvents dissolve at least part of thesample.

In a preferred embodiment a first pump means controls delivery of thesolvent to the sample and a second pump means removes at least part ofthe solution. Typically the apparatus includes one of more reservoirmeans containing solvent in use.

In one embodiment the pump means controls the composition of the solventdelivered to the sample by mixing the content of two or more reservoirmeans.

Typically the microscope means includes optical (light) microscopes,electron microscopes and scanning probe microscopes. In one embodimentthe microscope is an atomic force microscope (AFM).

In one embodiment the solution is conveyed to an instrument capable ofanalyzing the solutes via the intermediate step of collecting a sequenceof aliquots in vessels.

In one embodiment the solution is conveyed directly to an instrumentthat can analyze the solutes.

In one embodiment the temperature of the sample is controlled to be anincreasing monotonic function of time.

In one embodiment the temperature of the sample is controlled to be acombination of a monotonic function of time and a periodic function oftime.

In one embodiment the composition of the solvent is controlled to be amonotonic function of time.

In one embodiment the composition of the solvent is controlled to be acombination of a monotonic function of time and a periodic function oftime.

Typically there is a method of identifying the chemical composition ofone or more of the components of a sample and locating their positionswithin and/or upon the sample, said method comprising the steps of;

locating the sample within the field of view of at least one microscopemeans suitable for characterizing changes that occur in a sample as aconsequence of its components being dissolved,

conveying at least one solvent to the sample, and

conveying at least part of the solution away from the sample.

Preferably the method includes the further step of analyzing thesolutes. Typically analysis of the images produced by the microscope isperformed, so that the location and/or quantity of material dissolved asa function of time can be estimated. Further typically differentcomponents are differentiated on the basis of their dissolutionkinetics.

In one embodiment the data acquired with the microscope is correlatedwith the solute analytical data. Typically a map is created of howdifferent components of the sample are spatially distributed withinand/or upon the sample, even when more than one component dissolvesconcurrently during the course of the process and/or addition ofsolvent.

Preferably the composition of the solvent is capable of being controlledby a computer. Typically the one or more pump means are computercontrolled.

Preferably the temperature of the sample and solvent surrounding it iscontrolled by a computer.

In one embodiment the sample remains within the field of view of themicroscope as the sample is exposed to the solvent.

In an alternative embodiment the sample is removed from the field ofview of the microscope and exposed to the solvent before the sample isreturned to the field of view of the microscope. Typically this seriesis repeated multiple times. Further typically the series is repeatedwith different solvents and/or at different temperatures.

In one embodiment aliquots or discreet samples of the solution arecollected for analysis.

In another aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatuscomprising at least one microscope operable to characterize the surfaceof a sample, at least one conduit to convey a solvent to the sample sothat it can dissolve parts of the sample, a pumping system operable tocontrol the composition of a solvent conveyed to the sample, atemperature controlled chamber within which the sample is located, afurther conduit to convey the solution away from the sample to at leastone instrument capable of analyzing the solutes; the apparatus beingarranged to measure changes in the surface of the sample as material isdissolved by the solvent and to analyze the solutes thereby to providedata that can be processed using suitable software to identify thechemical composition of components of the sample and locate theirpositions within and/or upon the sample even when more than onecomponent dissolves concurrently during the course of the experiment.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method ofidentifying the chemical composition of the components of a sample andlocating their positions within and/or upon the sample comprisingplacing the sample within the field of view of a microscope that cancharacterize changes that occur in a sample as a consequence of itscomponents being dissolved, conveying the solvent to the sample so thatit can dissolve parts of the sample, conveying the solution away fromthe sample, analyzing the solutes, analyzing the images produced by themicroscope so that the location and quantity of material dissolved as afunction of time are estimated and different components aredifferentiated on the basis of their dissolution kinetics, correlatingthe data acquired with the microscope with the analytical data therebyto create a map of how different components of the sample are spatiallydistributed within and/or upon the sample even when more than onecomponent dissolves concurrently during the course of the experiment.

Parallel methods or processes may be performed without the microscopethat are substantially the same with respect to the temperature of thesample, the composition of the solvents and the ratio of the volume ofthe solvent to the mass of the sample but with a larger sample than thatused in the process conducted with the microscope. The data obtained byanalyzing the solutes in the parallel methods are correlated with theimages acquired by the microscope thereby to create a map of howdifferent components of the sample are spatially distributed withinand/or upon the sample.

In one embodiment the method includes the step of collecting aliquots ofthe solution for subsequent analysis.

In one embodiment the method includes the step of conveying the solutiondirectly to an instrument capable of analyzing the solutes.

In one embodiment the method includes a parallel method or process thatis conducted without the microscope but in substantially the same waywith respect to the temperature of the sample, the composition of thesolvents and the ratio of the volume of the solvent to the mass of thesample but with a larger sample than that used in the method or processconducted with the microscope; the data obtained by analysing thesolutes in the parallel process being correlated with the imagesacquired by the microscope thereby to create a map of how differentcomponents of the sample are spatially distributed within and/or uponthe sample.

In one embodiment the method includes the step of controlling thetemperature of the sample to be an increasing monotonic function oftime.

In one embodiment the method includes the step of controlling thetemperature of the sample to be a combination of a monotonic function oftime and a periodic function.

In one embodiment the method includes the step of controlling thecomposition of the solvent to change as a monotonic function of time.

In one embodiment the method includes the step of controlling thecomposition of the solvent to change as a combination of a monotonicfunction of time and a periodic function.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with referenceto the following figures wherein:

FIGS. 1a and 1b show AFM images of a sample of 30% Cyclosporin in HPMCbefore and after the sample has been immersed in dichloromethane;

FIGS. 2a-2c show a series of screenshots providing of images of domainsof a material dissolving in a solvent, and plots underneath the imagesdetailing how selected domains become smaller;

FIGS. 3a-3e show a series of schematic representations of data obtainedusing one embodiment of the invention applied to a sample with twosoluble phases embedded in an insoluble matrix;

FIG. 4 shows a diagram of an apparatus that allows pulses of solvent tobe delivered to a sample as it is being imaged using an atomic forcemicroscope in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 5a and 5b show two AFM images representing the topography of atwo-phase sample before and after exposure to a solvent. Three areas arehighlighted that are then analyzed in detail;

FIGS. 6a-6f show a succession of topographic maps as the sample isexposed to a series of immersions in a solvent according to the areashighlighted in FIG. 5, whereby one line scan over a selected feature isillustrated;

FIGS. 7a-7f show the results of the line scan highlighted in FIG. 6whereby a succession of height profiles are produced as the sample isexposed to a series of immersions in a solvent;

FIG. 8a-8d show a succession of topographic maps as the sample isexposed to a series of immersions in a solvent according to the areashighlighted in FIG. 5, whereby one line scan over a selected feature isillustrated;

FIGS. 9a-9d . show the results of the line scan highlighted in FIG. 8whereby a succession of height profiles are produced as the sample isexposed to a series of immersions in a solvent;

FIGS. 10a-10d show a succession of topographic maps as the sample isexposed to a series of immersions in a solvent according to the areashighlighted in FIG. 5, whereby two line scans over a selected featuresare illustrated;

FIGS. 11a-11h shows the results from the two line scans highlighted inFIG. 10 whereby a succession of height profiles are produced as thesample is exposed to a series of immersions in a solvent;

FIG. 12 shows a co-plot of the peak height results of various locationson the sample surface;

FIG. 13 shows a height plot from a line scan from area highlighted inFIG. 5;

FIG. 14 shows an apparatus that allows aliquots of solvent to bedelivered to a sample as it is being imaged using an atomic forcemicroscope. The aliquots may be separated by a gap filled with a gas orconsecutive aliquots of liquids may be allowed to form an interface;

FIG. 15 shows an apparatus that allows aliquots of solvent to bedelivered to a sample as it is being imaged using an atomic forcemicroscope where two aliquots of liquid are brought together and may beallowed to interact;

FIG. 16 shows an apparatus that allows aliquots of solvent and a vaporto be delivered to a sample as it is being imaged using an atomic forcemicroscope where the vapor condenses around the point of contact ornear-contact of the probe on the surface of the sample.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

What is proposed is a novel method of chemical mapping that can providemultiple types of analysis, including chromatography, down to thenanoscale.

Embodiments of the invention overcome the limitations of current methodsby combining:—

-   -   A type of microscopy that can characterize the removal of        material from the surface of a sample including the removal of        some domains more than others.    -   A means of conveying solvent to the sample so that material is        dissolved from its surface.    -   A means of controlling the composition of the solvent so that it        preferentially dissolves one material compared to another.    -   A means of controlling the temperature of the sample and solvent        thereby to influence the rate at which materials are dissolved.    -   A means of collecting aliquots of the solution so that they can        be analysed and/or a direct link to an instrument that can        analyze the solutes.    -   A means of correlating the measurements from the microscopy with        the analytical results so that the location from which analytes        were dissolved can be determined.    -   A means of creating an interface between two liquids and        controlling how they interact prior conveying them to the        sample.    -   A means of causing the fluid or at least one of the fluids to be        a vapor so that capillary forces, where the tip touches the        sample, cause the vapor to condense in a way that is localized        at the tip; this condensate then dissolving part of the sample        prior to the localized droplet being conveyed away from the        sample.    -   A means of heating the probe of a scanning probe microscope        wherein the temperature of the probe can be increased and        reduced in a controlled way.

This same principle can be applied to all other types of chemicalanalysis. It is possible to acquire infra red (IR) spectra from aliquotsof the solution then further analyze these aliquots using Ramanspectroscopy or mass spectroscopy or a combination of all of these. Inthis way a great deal of analytical information can be acquired from asingle imaging experiment, far more than can be obtained usingconventional techniques.

FIGS. 1a and 1b show an AFM image 1, 2 of a sample of 30% Cyclosporin inHPMC. The image 2 in FIG. 1b shows the sample after immersion indichloromethane. Cyclosporin is soluble in dichloromethane, HPMC is not.The conclusion is the circular domains on the surface 3, are made up ofthe drug. This provides an example of how the use of a selective solventcan identify the composition of surface features. An analysis of thesolution and solutes therein by, for example, HPLC-MS would enable thecomposition of the dissolved objects to be determined if this is notknown in advance.

An important point is that analyzing material on the scale of nanometersis usually not done with intention of characterizing a single domain.For example, if it is considered to be important to analyze specificallydomain 3 in FIG. 1 because it is the only domain with a givencomposition then this would not normally be feasible because it would beimpossible to find just one nanometer sized object on a typical sample.Nanometric characterization usually only makes sense if it is the casethat the area examined is representative of a much larger area. This isa requirement for the proposed method to work; however, this is acondition that would normally be met without difficulty; that it is metcan be experimentally confirmed when necessary.

The simple process described above cannot be a general method ofanalysis because it cannot be routinely assumed that only one componentis soluble in a given solvent. The picture is further complicatedbecause the rate at which an object dissolves depends not only on howsoluble it is but also by the size of the object that is dissolving.These complications can be addressed using any type of microscopy thatcan provide information about how different parts of a sample aredissolving combined with chemical analysis of the solutes and a suitablemathematical analysis to correlate the data from the microscope with thedata from the methods of chemical analysis. For such a technique to becapable of analyzing a wide variety of samples it must be able to copewith the possibility that different components can dissolveconcurrently; this can be achieved by determining the kinetics ofdissolution at different points on the sample surface anddifferentiating between components on the basis of these kinetics.

FIGS. 2a-2c gives an example of how microscopy can be used tocharacterize the kinetics of dissolution by showing the images 5, 6 and7 that were taken at the start 5, middle 6 and end 7 of the dissolutionprocess. There is a distribution of particle sizes exemplified by 4;however, larger objects reduce in size so they all ultimately followsimilar paths. There are a variety of image analysis algorithms that canbe used to follow the process of dissolution including boundaryrecognition algorithms that track the reduction in size of the peripheryof each object, information theory algorithms that track how thestructure changes, statistical algorithms that track changes in pixelintensity and others known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Graphs8, 9, 10 show the dissolution of the imaged objects as a function oftime and/or addition of solvent.

Comparisons between objects can be made that differentiate betweenmaterials on the basis of the kinetics of dissolution; this isillustrated in FIG. 3. We have micrograph 11, in FIG. 3a , that imagesthe domains 12. The dissolution of these domains is followed using theprocedure illustrated in FIG. 2. The half-life (the time taken for thedomain to reduce by half) of each domain is measured and plotted againstthe size of the domain. Domains that have the same kinetics ofdissolution will all fall on the same monotonic curve; FIG. 3b shows thegraph 13 including two populations 14 and 15 with different dissolutionkinetics. Each domain from micrograph 11 can be allocated to theappropriate population and the total amount of material dissolved forthat population can be calculated; this is plotted in graph 16, shown inFIG. 3c , as two normalized curves 17 and 18. The chromatograph 19,shown in FIG. 3d , taken of the solution sampled at the end of theexperiment shows two peaks 20 and 21. In FIG. 3e , graph 22 shows thenormalized peak heights 23 and 24 from aliquots of the solution takenduring the course of the experiment are plotted.

In this case simple inspection is sufficient to show that peak 20corresponds to population 15 and peak 21 corresponds to population 14thus the composition of each domain is determined and the distributionof the different materials can be mapped. In other cases inspection willnot be sufficient, in these cases more sophisticated methods can be usedsuch as algebraic determination of unknowns when sufficient knowns areavailable, multivariate statistical models, a wide variety of othertechniques generally grouped under the heading chemometrics and othermethods known to one of ordinary skill in the art.

This same principle can be applied to all other types of chemicalanalysis. It is possible to acquire IR spectra from aliquots of thesolution then further analyze these aliquots using Raman spectroscopy ormass spectroscopy or a combination of all of these. In this way a greatdeal of analytical information can be acquired from a single imagingexperiment, far more than can be obtained using conventional techniques.

The solvent can be made to flow over the sample in a continuous streamwith a constant composition or the composition can be progressiveschanged by a pumping system that mixes different solvents. The solventcan be delivered as a series of pulses that may be separated by, forexample, air or a liquid immiscible with the solvent. The temperature ofthe sample can be held constant or can be changed in a programmedfashion such as, but not limited to, a linear function with time. All ofthese variables can be changed in a monotonic manner or modulated tofollow a periodic function such as a step function or a sine wave; thesedifferent types of monotonic and periodic functions can be used incombination. Varying the composition of the solvent and the temperaturein the ways described above can improve the ability to discriminatephases on the basis of their different kinetics of dissolution andoptimize the experiment by, for example, reducing the total time takento complete it. Modulating the temperature may provide modulations inthe rate of dissolution that can be analyzed by, for example, curvefitting techniques using periodic functions thereby improvingsensitivity. Implementing periodic changes in solvent composition fromone that preferentially dissolves one phase to one that preferentiallydissolves another phase can make discriminating between these phaseseasier by using, for example, a discrete Fourier transform. A lineartemperature ramp can ensure that an experiment does not take too longbecause one phase dissolves very slowly at room temperature. The optionsfor varying temperature and solvent composition to improve performanceare many and are not limited to the examples given above.

An approach that can increase the limit of detection is to carry outparallel experiments; one with the microscope using a small sample andanother using a large sample without the microscope. Both experimentsmust be substantially the same with respect to the temperature of thesample, the composition of the solvents and the ratio of the volume ofthe solvent to the mass of the sample. Large amounts of analytes can beobtained from the large sample thus providing high sensitivity and thissample can be substantially larger than the one that can be accommodatedby the microscope. However, provided the structure and composition ofboth samples are the same then the analytical data from the largersample can be used with the images from the microscope to map thecomponents of the sample in the same way as when the analytical data andthe micrographs are obtained from the same sample. Data from parallelexperiments using more than one form of microscopy can be used together.

These principles can be applied to the nanoscale using atomic forcemicroscopy and electron microscopy as well as larger scales usingoptical microscopy, optical profiling and other methods capable ofcharacterizing the surface of a sample.

FIG. 4 shows a piece of apparatus (just one of a number of designs) thatcan characterize how material is removed from the surface of a sample 27using a probe 26 actuated by an atomic force microscope 25. In thisfigure ‘pulses’ of different solvents 30 and 32 separated by an air gap31 are conveyed along a tube 29 to the sample 27. The atomic forcemicroscope 25 characterizes the surface of the sample as the solventdissolves part of the surface. The solvent 32 is then conveyed to vessel33 for collection and subsequent analysis by a variety of means, forexample IR spectroscopy or chromatography. At the same time solvent 30is conveyed to the sample. This is just one design, many othersembodiments can be constructed by one of ordinary skill in the art oncethe principles of the invention are understood.

The proposed method and apparatus introduce a new paradigm for chemicalimaging. It can be used with any of the standard analytical techniquesincluding chromatography thereby providing a step-change improvement inanalytical discrimination compared to more conventional approaches. Itcan operate at the nanometer scale and above.

FIGS. 5a and 5b show two maps of the topography obtained with an AtomicForce Microscope (AFM) of the same sample before, 34, and after, 35,exposure to a series of aliquots or pulses of solvent such as can bedelivered using the apparatus shown in FIG. 4. It is advantageous to usea sequence of exposures to a solvent or a series of solvents then removethe solvent before imaging with the AFM to avoid damaging the samplewhile it is very soft due to the action of the solvent.

FIG. 5 shows that there has clearly been a substantial change due to thedissolution of material from the surface. Three areas are selected,before exposure to solvent in FIG. 5a and after exposure to solvent inFIG. 5b ; 36 (before)-37 (after), 38 (before)-39 (after) and 40(before)-41 (after).

FIGS. 6a-6f show the results for area 36-37 for zero exposure 42, onesecond 43, two seconds 44, four seconds 45, eight seconds 46, andfifteen seconds exposure 47, respectively. A line scan, 48, is selectedand this same line scan is obtained for each of the different exposuretimes. FIGS. 7a-7f show the results of the line scans for the successiveexposures 46-51 in the same sequence. It can be seen that there is a‘bump’ on the surface that does not greatly diminish until there is anabrupt creation of a hole after eight seconds. FIGS. 8a-8d show theresults for area 40-41 for zero exposure 52, one second 53, two seconds54 and four seconds 55. A line scan, 56, is selected and this same linescan is obtained for each of the different exposure times. FIGS. 9a-9dshows the results of the line scans for the successive exposures 57-59in the same sequence. It can be seen that there is a ‘bump’ on thesurface that does not greatly diminish until there is an abrupt creationof a hole after four seconds.

FIGS. 10a-10d show the results for area 38-39 for zero exposure 61, onesecond 62, two seconds 63 and four seconds 64. Two line scans 65, 66,are selected and these same line scans are obtained for each of thedifferent exposure times. FIGS. 11a-11h shows the results of the linescans for the successive exposures 67-70 for line scan 66 and 71-74 forline scan 65 in the same sequence. In the case of line scan 66 it can beseen that there is a ‘bump’ on the surface that does not greatlydiminish until there is an abrupt creation of a hole after two seconds.In the case of line scan 65 it can be seen that there is a ‘bump’ on thesurface that does not greatly diminish until there is an abrupt creationof a hole after one second.

A series of results from various locations on the surface are co-plottedin FIG. 12. This illustrates a highly complex combination of solvation,where the height diminishes gradually as seen in the box with dashedlines 75, and erosion, when the hole suddenly appears as seen at 76 to79. This complex behavior is unexpected and very different from thebehavior illustrated in FIG. 2. It can only be characterized using thepresent invention to remove material a little at a time by successiveexposure to aliquots of solvent followed by the removal of the solventand imaging of the same area each time. In this way the complex andunexpected kinetics of the removal of the soluble phase can becharacterized and then correlated with the appearance of material in thealiquots of solvent as illustrated in FIG. 3. Without a fullunderstanding of the complex kinetics for removal of material by theaction of the solvent, identification of the chemical nature of thedifferent phases would not be possible.

The interpretation of these data is that the phase that is presented atzero seconds exposure as a pattern of raised areas as seen in 34 isremoved by the solvent while the intervening matrix is dissolved muchmore slowly. It follows that for each line scan the shape obtained bycombining the first and last scan when the process of removal iscomplete (as determined by applying the invention) provides across-section showing the locations of the two phases; this isillustrated in FIG. 13, using line scans 36 and 41. The material in thearea 81 Is the highly soluble phase while the surrounding material 82 isless soluble. The chemical nature of the two components can bedetermined by using conventional analytical methods such as FTIR andHPLC-MS applied to the residue and the aliquots of solvent asillustrated in FIG. 3. By extension, combining the corresponding 3D mapsgives a 3D map of the distribution of the two phases.

As such, the present invention includes an apparatus comprising at leastone microscope operable to characterize the surface of a sample, atleast one conduit to convey a solvent to the sample so that it candissolve parts of the sample, a pumping system operable to control thecomposition of a solvent conveyed to the sample, a temperaturecontrolled chamber within which the sample is located, a further conduitto convey the solution away from the sample to at least one instrumentcapable of analyzing the solutes; the apparatus being arranged tomeasure changes in the surface of the sample as material is dissolved bythe solvent and to analyze the solutes thereby to provide data that canbe processed using suitable software to identify the chemicalcomposition of components of the sample and locate their positionswithin and/or upon the sample even when more than one componentdissolves concurrently during the course of the experiment.

Wherein the solution can be conveyed to an instrument capable ofanalyzing the solutes via the intermediate step of collecting a sequenceof aliquots in vessels.

Wherein the solution can be conveyed directly to an instrument that cananalyze the solutes.

Wherein the temperature of the sample can be controlled to be anincreasing monotonic function of time.

Wherein the temperature of the sample can be controlled to be acombination of a monotonic function of time and a periodic function oftime.

Wherein the composition of the solvent can be controlled to be amonotonic function of time.

Wherein the composition of the solvent can be controlled to be acombination of a monotonic function of time and a periodic function oftime.

Also a method of identifying the chemical composition of the componentsof a sample and locating their positions within and/or upon the samplecomprising placing the sample within the field of view of a microscopethat can characterize changes that occur in a sample as a consequence ofits components being dissolved, conveying the solvent to the sample sothat it can dissolve parts of the sample, conveying the solution awayfrom the sample, analyzing the solutes, analyzing the images produced bythe microscope so that the location and quantity of material dissolvedas a function of time are estimated and different components aredifferentiated on the basis of their dissolution kinetics, correlatingthe data acquired with the microscope with the analytical data therebyto create a map of how different components of the sample are spatiallydistributed within and/or upon the sample even when more than onecomponent dissolves concurrently during the course of the experiment

Wherein there can be a step of collecting aliquots of the solution forsubsequent analysis.

Wherein there can be a step of conveying the solution directly to aninstrument capable of analyzing the solutes.

Wherein there can be a parallel experiment that is conducted without themicroscope but in substantially the same way with respect to thetemperature of the sample, the composition of the solvents and the ratioof the volume of the solvent to the mass of the sample but with a largersample than that used in the experiment conducted with the microscope;the data obtained by analysing the solutes in the parallel experimentbeing correlated with the images acquired by the microscope thereby tocreate a map of how different components of the sample are spatiallydistributed within and/or upon the sample.

Wherein there can be a step of controlling the temperature of the sampleto be an increasing monotonic function of time.

Wherein there can be a step of controlling the temperature of the sampleto be a combination of a monotonic function of time and a periodicfunction.

Wherein there can be a step of controlling the composition of thesolvent to change as a monotonic function of time.

Wherein there can be a step of controlling the composition of thesolvent to change as a combination of a monotonic function of time and aperiodic function.

The solvent or reactive liquid can be made to flow over the sample in acontinuous stream with a constant composition or the composition can beprogressives changed by a pumping system that mixes different solvents.As shown in FIG. 14, the solvents or reactive liquids, 106, 108 and 109,can be delivered as a series of pulses contained within a conduit, 105,that may be separated by, for example, air, 107, or a liquid immisciblewith the solvent or solvents where there is an interface between themand some interaction may occur as shown where liquids 108 and 109 touch.Where interdiffusion or mixing occurs there may be created an interzoneover which concentrations and relative amounts are changing. Thetemperature of the sample can be held constant or can be changed in aprogrammed fashion such as, but not limited to, a linear function withtime. All of these variables can be changed in a monotonic manner ormodulated to follow a periodic function such as a step function or asine wave; these different types of monotonic and periodic functions canbe used in combination. Varying the composition of the solvent and thetemperature in the ways described above can improve the ability todiscriminate phases on the basis of their different kinetics ofdissolution and optimize the experiment by, for example, reducing thetotal time taken to complete it. Modulating the temperature may providemodulations in the rate of dissolution that can be analyzed by, forexample, curve fitting techniques using periodic functions therebyimproving sensitivity. Implementing periodic changes in solventcomposition from one that preferentially dissolves one phase to one thatpreferentially dissolves another phase can make discriminating betweenthese phases easier by using, for example, a discrete Fourier transform.A linear temperature ramp can ensure that an experiment does not taketoo long because one phase dissolves very slowly at room temperature.The options for varying temperature and solvent composition to improveperformance are many and are not limited to the examples given above. Inthe case shown in FIG. 14 the method is illustrated using an atomicforce microscope, 101, where a probe, 103, images the surface of thesample, 102, which is located on a sample support 104. The sample isimmersed in a solvent/reactive liquid 109. An image of the sample may betaken before exposure to the liquid or during the exposure. Afterexposure to 109 the aliquots may be pumped backward and an image couldbe taken of the sample in air. The aliquots of liquid could be pumpedforward to expose the sample to liquid 108. The sample may be imagedwhile submerged in liquid 108 or, after exposure to liquid 108, whenliquid 108 has been pumped forward so that the sample is within airgap107. At this stage liquid 109 would be substantially deposited incontainer 110. This sample could then be analysed by a wide variety ofmeans. Container 110 could then be removed and liquid 108 could bepumped into the replacement container then analysed by any means. It isalso possible to pump the aliquots back and forward in any sequenceduring the imaging process.

FIG. 15 shows the same features as FIG. 14 but also illustrates how twodifferent liquids can be allowed to interact; in this case intermixingoccurs in zone 111. If we take the case of liquid 109 being a solutionof an epoxy and liquid 108 being a solution of a cross linker, a viscousplug could be formed in zone 111 by these two components reacting toform a gel that inhibits diffusion between the two aliquots. Thisreaction could be allowed to occur while 111 is in contact with thesample surface thus the gel will be molded into the shape of the surfaceand so pass over it without dislodging the sample as liquids 108 and 109are pumped so that they can cover the sample. Liquid 109 might containnothing that interacts with the sample while liquid 108 contains anactive component that removes material from the sample. Liquids 109 and108 could be rapidly moved backward and forward creating a pattern ofmodulated rates of removal at the frequency of the back and forth motionwith the two liquids. Alternatively there need be no epoxy orcross-linker separated between a viscous plug in zone 111 that inhibitsinterfusion of the active component thus a gradient of concentrationcould be formed and how this gradient affects the kinetics of theprocess of interaction with the sample could be examined.

Alternatively the liquids could interact to form a reagent. For exampleliquid 108 could be nitric acid and liquid 109 could be hydrochloricacid, at the interzone 111, aqua regia would be formed that can dissolvegold. In this way the interzone becomes a chemical ‘blade’ is createdthat can be moved over the sample preferentially dissolving gold whileother components would not be dissolved.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show an experiment where the whole sample is immersed inthe liquid aliquots. An alternative configuration is to have a tubelocated on or near an area of the sample surface including a co-axialtube where liquids can be pumped toward and away from the surface in theinner and outer tubes independently. The sample may be otherwise in air(or other gas) or submerged in a liquid.

A further option is shown in FIG. 16 which shows aliquots of a liquid,108 and 112, and also a fluid containing a vapor, 113 and 114. Thecapillary forces that obtain where the tip of the probe, 103, is incontact or near-contact with the sample, 102, causes the vapor tocondense to form a liquid droplet 115. This liquid dissolves part of thesample and then liquid 108 is pumped forward and conveys the droplet tothe container 110. Alternatively a pulse of a gas could be used. The tipmight remain on the surface or near the surface or be raised. In thisway the area of the sample exposed to solvent can be highly localized.The probe could be one that can be heated by passing an electricalcurrent or heating with a light source such as a laser. If the probes iswarm, condensation can be prevented thus imaging can be without theeffects of dissolution. The probe can be cool, causing condensation sodissolution occurs then the probe can be heated to cause volatilizationand the volatized material can be collected for analysis or, swept intoan instrument capable of chemical analysis such as a mass spectrometer.The probe could be raised from the surface so that material collected onthe probe will be volatilized while the sample would not be impacted bythe heat.

The proposed method and apparatus introduce a new paradigm for chemicalimaging. It can be used with any of the standard analytical techniquesincluding chromatography thereby providing a step-change improvement inanalytical discrimination compared to more conventional approaches. Itcan operate at the nanometer scale and above.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of identifying a chemicalcomposition of one or more components of a sample and for locating theposition of the components within and/or upon the sample, said methodcomprising the steps of: locating the sample within a field of view ofat least one microscope operable to characterize a surface of the sampleand suitable for characterizing changes that occur in the sample as aconsequence of its being dissolved; conveying at least one fluid solventto the sample to create a solution having solutes; conveying at leastpart of the solution away from the sample and analyzing the solutes; andusing a pump to control the delivery of the fluid solvent to the samplesuch that its composition is controlled; wherein the solvent isdelivered as a series of pulses wherein there is an interface orinterzone between successive aliquots of liquid conveyed to the sample.2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the composition of the fluidsolvent can be progressively changed.
 3. A method according to claim 1wherein there is an interface between two different solvents andinterfusion of the liquids and/or components within the liquid does notoccur or occurs to a very small degree.
 4. A method according to claim 1wherein there is an interface or interzone between two different liquidsand interfusion of the liquids and/or components within the liquidsoccurs.
 5. A method according to claim 1 wherein there is an interfacebetween two different solvents and interfusion of the liquids and/orcomponents within the liquid does occur and there is a reaction betweenthe liquids or materials dissolved within the liquids.
 6. A methodaccording to claim 1 wherein the entire sample is submerged.
 7. A methodaccording to claim 1 wherein the liquids are delivered to part of thesample by means of a tube that touches or is located near the surface ofan area of the sample.
 8. A method of identifying a chemical compositionof one or more components of a sample and for locating the position ofthe components within and/or upon the sample, said method comprising thesteps of: locating the sample within a field of view of at least onemicroscope operable to characterize a surface of the sample and suitablefor characterizing changes that occur in the sample as a consequence ofits being dissolved; conveying at least one fluid solvent to the sampleto create a solution having solutes; conveying at least part of thesolution away from the sample and analyzing the solutes; and using apump to control the delivery of the fluid solvent to the sample suchthat its composition is controlled; wherein the solvent is delivered asa series of pulses wherein there is an interface or interzone betweensuccessive aliquots of liquid conveyed to the sample characterized inthat the pump controls the composition of the solvent delivered to thesample by mixing the content of two or more reservoirs.
 9. A method ofidentifying a chemical composition of one or more components of a sampleand for locating the position of the components within and/or upon thesample said method comprising the steps of: locating the sample within afield of view of at least one scanning probe microscope operable tocharacterize a surface of the sample and suitable for characterizingchanges that occur in the sample as a consequence of its beingdissolved; conveying at least one fluid to the sample that is a vaporthat, due to the capillary forces in this region, condenses around apoint of contact or near-contact between a probe and the sample;conveying at least part of the solution away from the sample to create asolution having solutes and analyzing the solutes; and using a pump tocontrol the delivery of the fluid to the sample and solution away fromthe sample such that their composition is controlled; wherein the fluidis delivered as a series of pulses or the composition changes.
 10. Amethod according to claim 9 wherein the solvent is delivered to follow afunction that is monotonic or periodic.
 11. A method according to claim10 wherein the function is a sine wave or a square wave where the periodcan be varied.
 12. A method according to claim 9 wherein the probe has atip which is raised as the environment around the tip is changed.
 13. Amethod according to claim 12 wherein the Up is heated.
 14. A methodaccording to claim 9 wherein the tip is electrically charged tofacilitate passage of material from the sample to an analyticalinstrument chemical analysis.